This blog is intended to cover side issues emerging from the discussions of artefact collecting (including metal detecting) on my "Portable Antiquities and Heritage Issues" blog. This allows answering misleading points which may require it without sidetracking of other discussions onto unrelated topics, thus freeing the main blog for more serious stuff.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Detectorists on the Council for British Archaeology

The CBA’s key weakness; ravenous for any kind of BS that shows the hobby in a poor light. In my opinion, the CBA is no friend of ours, never was, and never will be. Indeed, why would detectorists would want to buddy-up with such a pack of ingrates is beyond me, particularly with their desire to inflict of what they think passes for a detectorists Code of Conduct? Cheeky arrogant sods! Look inwards, plebs, and see the thieving that’s rife within your own ranks.

The Code of Practice [sic] for Responsible Detecting in England and Wales was fronted by the pro-detecting organization (supported by the CBA) the Portable Antiquities Scheme. It is ironic that these same critics say they are confirmed "supporters" of teh PAS and all it stands for. My guess is that this declaration is not actually backed up with a molecule of knowledge about what the PAS actually does stand for, just the superfiucial awareness that the presence of the PAS gives hobbyist artefact hunting and collecting a good image. It is a shame that the unchallenged all-too-visible online activities of the Scheme's partners creates quite the opposite impression.

About Me

British archaeologist living and working in Warsaw, Poland. Since the early 1990s (or even longer) a primary interest has been research on artefact hunting and collecting and the market in portable antiquities in the international context and their effect on the archaeological record.